I added an email alias (service@west-tech.net) to a user (ckraus@west-tech.net). I did this by going to ckraus' already made mailbox, went to Properties, then Email Addresses, and added service@west-tech.net to there. I'm trying to add a user called service@west-tech.net now but it won't let me. I went to ckraus' email and removed the alias but when I go to create the service account, it says that it is already made. It is not showing up in AD nor ADSIEdit. What should I do?

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exchange caches AD information for a long time (in IT terms). it could easily take 60 minutes to age out. Has it been at least this long? and where are you creating the account, on the exchange server or on a DC?

If I have this correct, you want to create a user called service, which is email enabled.

Try this, Open up Active Directory Uses and computers. right click on the domain and select find, enter "service". If it does find the account then it had been created previously and all you will have to do is email enable it.

If it's not there try to create it. If that works then mail enable it. If not the it will be interesting to see the error you get.

I tried in the Users container. It is Users.wtsc.local. The error I got back was "Windows cannot create the new computer object because the pre-Windows 2000 computer name NAME is already in use. Select another name, and then try again.". I found a Microsoft article about Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 stating that some usernames are not available. Service is one of those accounts.

I ended up creating a distribution group called serviceemail@west-tech.net, added service@west-tech.net to its alias, and then forwarded the emails received on either of those emails to the Service department. It's a work around. Perhaps a service account is not allowed to be created in SBS 2011 as well but I don't have another server to try it on to see if it is my screw up but if it was never allowed to begin with. I appreciate everyone's help with this. You have introduced me into a bunch of cool AD tools and features I didn't know about ;)

I know this is an old thread, but it came up as one of the top hits in Google while I was searching for why I couldn't create a user account called "Service." So I thought I would post the answer in case anyone else comes looking for it. The answer is because this is one of the ﻿﻿Restricted User Names.